In packaging containers having closures thereon, it has been common to provide tamper indicating packages wherein the tamper indicating band is connected to the closure along the weakened line provided by a plurality of bridges or a scoreline and interengaging means between the band and the container are such that when the closure is unthreaded from the container, the band is severed along the weakened line to indicate that the closure has been tampered with.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,918 issued to Jean Grussen on July 26, 1983, a threaded closure carries a hold ring that is joined to the bottom of the cap skirt by a series of breakable tabs and the hold ring has an inside diameter that is at least equal to the outside diameter of the cap skirt. A plurality of lock lugs supported on the ring are inclined upwardly and inwardly and are intended to hook behind a collar or mating ring on the container neck to prevent the hold ring from being lifted off the container neck when the cap is unscrewed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,844, having a common assignee with the present application, there is disclosed and claimed an arrangement wherein a continuous annular flange extends from the lower end of the tamper indicating band and is inclined upwardly and inwardly. Such an arrangement is effective but has the disadvantage in that continuous flange requires excessive force to apply the closure to the container in certain extreme tolerance conditions.
In an effort to reduce the force required to apply the closure, it has heretofore been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,657 that the free edge of the continuous annular flange be provided with a plurality of segments to facilitate application of the closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,771 proposes the use of a plurality of spaced-apart ring segments on the tamper indicating band to define independently foldable ring segments and a plurality of resilient tabs connected to each end of each ring segment so that the free ends of the tabs bear on the bead or ledge of the container.
Accordingly, among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a tamper indicating package with an improved arrangement for interengaging the closure with the container so that when the closure is removed the tamper indicating band remains on the container; wherein the closure can be readily applied to the container; wherein the tamper indicating package effectively minimizes tampering; wherein there is no need for inverting of any portion of the closure after molding; wherein the closure can be designed to provide different degrees of retention; and which can be readily manufactured.
In accordance with the invention, the tamper indicating package comprises a container having a finish with external threads thereon and a plastic closure comprising a base wall and a peripheral skirt. The closure has a tamper indicating band connected to the skirt along a weakened line. The band has at least one flange extending upwardly and inwardly for engagement with retaining means on the container. The flange is hinged to the band along a first hinge extending circumferentially of the band and along a second hinge at an angle to the first hinge at one end. The other end of the flange circumferentially is spaced with respect to the second hinge free such that when the closure is applied to the container the flange flexes over the retaining means on the container until the free edge of the flange extends beneath the retaining means on the container and when the closure is rotated to remove the closure, the flange prevents the band from being removed and causes severing of the band along the weakened line.